FUELING THE FIRECauses of the Civil War
Intro Video
SECTIONALISM
Sectionalism Sectionalism: Loyalty to a specific section of the country rather than to the nation as a whole
Causes of Sectionalism: •Westward Expansion• “Cotton King” in the South• Industrial Revolution• Conflicting economic and political interests between the North and the South
STATES’ RIGHTS
States’ Rights
States’ Rights: Right of the state to limit the power of the Federal government • States’ Rights was found primarily in the
South
Nullification: State trying to declare a Federal law unconstitutional
NULLIFICATION CRISIS
Nullification Crisis
•Tariff of 1828 and 1832 helped the Northern factories at the expense of the Southern farmers
John C Calhoun (South Carolina)
Daniel Webster (Mass.)
Led the fight to get rid of the tariff, South Carolina threatened to secede
Disagreed with Calhoun and states’ rights
Two View Points
NULLIFICATION CRISIS
Nullification Crisis
•John C. Calhoun and South Carolina threatened to secede if the tariff was not cancelled •However, compromise was reached
SLAVERY
Slavery •North and the South had differing viewpoints on slavery:
Northern Perspective Southern Perspective
•Slavery was a moral issue•Slavery was evil•If slavery was not abolished, it could bring God’s judgment
•Slavery was an economic necessity•Slavery was a way of life for the South and part of their society
SLAVERY
Slavery •The North and the South felt it was very important to keep the number of slave and free states equal as new states were being admitted in to the Union•Neither side wanted the other side to have more power in Congress
MISSOURI COMPROMISE
Missouri Compromise
•Missouri applied for statehood as a slave state•BUT, if Missouri joined as a slave state, the South would have more representatives in Congress
MISSOURI COMPROMISE
Missouri Compromise
•Henry Clay came up with a solution:
Missouri Compromise, 1820
1. Maine would be admitted as a free state2. Missouri would be admitted as a slave state3. Congress drew an imaginary line at the
Southern border of Missouri (36’30’’ latitude) and there could be no slavery above that line in the rest of the Louisiana Territory ONLY
COMPROMISE OF 1850
Compromise of 1850
•Missouri Compromise was only for the Louisiana Territory, now another compromise had to be made for the other territories
Compromise of 1850
1. California is admitted as a free state2. Harsher fugitive slave law would be
created3. Mexican Cession divided into New
Mexico and Utah and voters would get to vote on the issue of slavery
UNCLE TOM’S CABIN
Uncle Tom’s Cabin
•Uncle Tom’s Cabin: Book written by Harriet Beecher Stowe, in 1852, that dramatized the cruelties of slavery
•Effect of Book:• Emotionally effected readers• Created widespread anti-slavery support in the North
DRED SCOTT DECISIONDred Scott Decision
•The Story: Scott moved with his owner from a slave state to a free state. When his owner died, Scott sued for his freedom
•The Supreme Court Decided: 1. Slaves were not citizens so they could not
bring a lawsuit to court2. Slaves were property3. Congress could not ban slavery from the
territories4. The Missouri Compromise, which banned
slavery in certain territories, was UNCONSTITUTIONAL
KANSAS-NEBRASKA ACTKansas Nebraska Act
•Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854: Kansas and Nebraska would use popular sovereignty (voting) to determine slavery in their state•This act pleased Southerners but made Northerners very angry
KANSAS-NEBRASKA ACTKansas Nebraska Act of 1854
•Bleeding Kansas in 1856: Settlers from the North and the South rushed to Kansas so they could vote, violence broke out in Kansas between proslavery settlers and anti-slavery settlers
Cause: Kansas-
Nebraska Act of 1854
Effect: Bleeding Kansas in
1856
Video